Tailings-settler.



No. 871,366. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

A. SOHWARZ.

TAILINGS SBTTLER.

APPLICATION FILED rm. 1, 1006.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR 17 W BY ATTORNEY No. 871,366. PATENT-ED NOV. 19, 1907.

A. SOHWARZ.

TAILINGS SETTLER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 190a.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O O O WITNESSES: INVENTOR 7/1 2. z z BY M/ ATTORNEY n4: Imam: PETERS cc.. wnsuma rmv a. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SGHWARZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SOHWARZ ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TAILINGS-SETTLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED SCIIWARZ, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tailings-Settlers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a settling tank which has been used by me in connec tion with ore concentrating plants. In order to understand its application to such use it may be briefly stated that in concen trating methods heretofore invented by me the pulverized ore is mixed with a selective agent'and the mass then run into a vessel containing water to effect a separation of the selective agent with its entrapped values from the tailings. The latter are discharged from the bottom of the separating vessel into a valve (which constitutes the subject matter of an application filed by me Feb ruary 1, 1906, Serial Number 298,980), which permits of the discharge of the tailings with a minimum loss of Water from the separating vessel. The present device receives the tailings discharged from said valve, the object being to rovide means to effect the final discharge 0 the tailings in as dry a condition as possible and the recovery of any water or solution which may pass outwith the tailmgs.

The invention will be understood by refer ence to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view with one of the walls broken away, Fig. 2 is an end view showing one of the compartments; and Fig. 3 is a sec tional detail view.

Similar reference numerals indicate similar parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the settler is supported on a frame-work comprising uprights 1 and cross-beams 2. The settler consists of a box-like structure which may be square or circular in section and comprises side walls 3-3 on the inside of which are bolted diagonal partition walls 4 and 5, two being shown thus providing four compartments which successively receive the tailings as the settler is rotated. Bolted to the center of the outer sides of the walls 3 are castings 6 having hollow hubs 7 through which passes a tubular shaft 8. Said shaft extends centrally through the settler from side to side and its outer ends are supported in bearings carried by the cross-beams 2. Keyed to the shaft 8 is a worm-wheel 9 which meshes with a driving-worm 10, the shaft of the latter being supported in bearings carried by brackets 11 and connected to any suitable source of power; or said shaft may be manually rotated by hand-wheel 12. The partition walls 4 and 5 extend radially from the shaft 8 so that the compartments formed thereby are closed at the bottom.

Passing through openings in the side walls 3 and near the upper part of each compartment are pipes 13 and 14. These pipes at their lower ends are stepped .into openings in the hollow hubs 7 and extend to or project slightly within the hollow shaft 8 as indicated in Fig. 3. Supported within the shaft 8 is a stationary water discharge outlet pipe 15. Said pipe is provided with openings 16 located immediately below the outlet ends of the pipes 13 and 14, when the latter are in their uppermost position.

The operation of the settler above described will be readily understood. As the tailings are discharged into the compartment which at the time is upper-most they will gradually settle in the compartment, any water passing over with them rising to the surface. hen the water reaches the pipes 13 and 141 it will pass therethrough and be received by the discharge pipe 15 through the openings 16. The settler may be intermittently or continuously rotated; if the latter, it will be rotated very slowly in order to give the tailings time to settle and to enable the compartments to be practically filled so that the water may be discharged through the pipes 13 and 14 before the settler in its rotation discharges the tailings. The water or solution which escapes through the pipes 15 may be collected in any suitable vessel for reuse. It will be obvious, of course, that as the settler is rotated the tailings will be discharged, eachcompartment in turn receiving a charge.

Although I have described the invention as applied to the handling of tailings I have done so merely by way of illustration as the invention is capable of general application and is adapted for use in any connection Where it is desired to separate Water or a solution from solid matter.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A settling tank of the character described comprising side Walls, diagonal partition Walls joining the same to provide open topped compartments, a hollow shaft upon Which said tank is mounted, pipes leading from each compartment to said shaft to carry off the fluid contents, a stationary pipe tate said tank. l v

In Witness whereof I have signed my name to th1 s specnication 1n the presence oftwo subscrlbing Witnesses.

ALFRED SCHWARZ.

VVitnesses OLIN A. FOSTER,

M. E. McNINoH. 

